Project Overview

The University of Tennessee Forest Resources Research and Education Center (FRREP) was awarded $9,500 in 2012 to install demonstration sites to test and illustrate how best management practices (BMPs) protect water quality and support sustainable forestry practices. The primary focus of demonstration sites was erosion control measures, which included rock aggregate and crushed/reclaimed asphalt on selected sections of the University’s FRREP Forest Road Demonstration site. Techniques that were initially determined to be more effective progressed to a more rigorous controlled and replicated study to better refine the BMP.

Project results were used to improve logger training programs as required under Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification. This project advanced several SFI objectives, including support for logger training, public outreach, and continuous improvement for forest haul/access road construction.

Project Partners

In addition to the Forest Resources Research and Education Centre, partners included the University of Tennessee Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Tennessee SFI Implementation.

About the Forest Research and Education Center

The University of Tennessee Forest Resources Research and Education Center is a field research laboratory that is a regionally recognized leader in developing new technologies applicable to modern forestry and wildlife resources management and environmental stewardship. It is one of 10 research and education centers in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station system. With headquarters in Oak Ridge, TN, the Forestry Resources Center comprises three forest units located in East and Middle Tennessee.